Tobe Hooper, director of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, dead at 74

Tobe Hooper, the director of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, passed away on August 26th at the age of 74. He died in his home in California. The coroner reported that he died of natural causes.

Hooper is a legend among horror fans. There is no doubt that the his most popular work is Texas Chainsaw Massacre. With a budget of less than $300,000, Hooper created a horror masterpiece that continues to influence to this day. Hooper’s vision was so realistic that several countries banned the film. The influence for the main villian Leatherface came from infamous serial killer Ed Gein. The sequel, released in 1986, took a more comedic turn as part of a deal made with Cannon Films.

His other big project came in 1982. Written and produced by Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist tells the tale of a family terrorized by ghosts. Poltergeist became the eighth-highest grossing film on 1982. While best known for those films, Hooper directed other lesser known films under the Cannon Films banner, Lifeforce and Invaders from Mars. Other films include Toolbox Murders, Djinn and a TV movie version of Salem’s Lot.

Although known for his movies, Hooper has many TV credits to his name. Those credits include single episodes of Tales from the Crypt and the short lived Freddy’s Nightmares, based on the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Hooper also directed the music video for Billy Idol’s “Dancing with Myself”.

Even though he is gone, Tobe Hooper’s legacy lives on through his works and his influence. RIP Tobe Hooper.